Sclerotherapy is a treatment that intentionally damages the lining (endothelium) of small veins and is commonly used to treat blood vessel malformations such as varicose veins and spider veins. By doing this and then applying pressure the vein walls stick together. The vein can then no longer fill with blood and so it is obliterated. One commonly used Sclerosant is a fatty alcohol known as polidocanol. Polidocanol is the active ingredient used in the FDA-approved Asclera®.
To date, sclerotherapy is accomplished by injecting the malformed veins with a sclerosing solution causing the target vein to shrink, and subsequently dissolve over a period of time as the body naturally absorbs the treated vein. While sclerotherapy is effective, there remains a need for a less invasive, more versatile sclerosant, i.e., one which may be administered in a number of different ways.